Reading through United Cardinals Bloggers postings of their top iconic moments, you quickly come to the conclusion that Cardinals fans are fortunate to have so many wonderful memories. From Ozzie Smith’s home run to Mark McGwire’s 62nd, I think my favorite was from Bill Ivie when he talked about a game he attended with his father. Surely, those are the most special of all.
I have one of those as well, although it didn’t have a happy ending at the time. But it has changed the way I look at baseball, and made me the fan that I am today. As Game Six of the 2011 World Series unfolded, I looked up to the sky and thanked my dad for a game in which we did not see the ending.
The date was September 18, 1969, a Thursday afternoon game in St. Louis. A disappointing season for the Cardinals was winding down. The Pittsburgh Pirates were in town for a quick two game series before the Cardinals left on a long road trip. For some reason, my dad took the day off work and took me out of school to go to this particular game. I have no memory of why, but I do remember the game as if it happened yesterday.
Both Nelson Briles of the Cardinals and Steve Blass of the Pirates got off to a good start. The Cardinals would score first, putting three runs on the board in the third inning. A two out walk to Curt Flood followed by a double by Vada Pinson gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. Then Joe Hague hit a home run to extend that to 3-0. The tiny crowd made a huge noise as Hague rounded the bases.
In the fifth inning, Briles began to show signs of trouble. Since he was not a strikeout pitcher, he had to be perfect with his control, and that was slipping. The Pirates were starting to get to him. They would continue to peck away at Briles in the sixth inning as well, but Nelly managed to keep the Pirates off the scoreboard.
Briles luck finally ran out in the seventh. After striking out Manny Sanguillen to start the ininng, Richie Hebner singled. Bob Robertson followed that with an RBI double. That brought Red Schoendienst out of the dugout, and the afternoon was over for Briles.
Mudcat Grant came into the game and immediately gave up a two run homer to the Pirates pinch hitter, Jose Pagan. The game is now tied and my dad is starting to stir. Grant would give up a single to Matty Alou and a double to Dave Cash. The Pirates are threatening to break this game open with runners in scoring position and the scary part of their batting order coming up (Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente, Al Oliver). And my dad is threatening to get up and leave the ballpark.
Again, Red went to his bullpen, this time for Ray Washburn. Washburn would intentionally walk Willie Stargell to load the bases. Considering that Washburn and his tremendous curveball could easily induce an inning ending double play, this seemed like a good idea. If Red had to do it all over again, he might have let Grant walk Stargell instead of Washburn.
After the intentional pass, Washburn snapped off one of those breaking balls, but it fell short of the plate and Ted Simmons could not corral it. Alou scampers home, giving the Pirates the lead. OK, let’s try this again. Now Washburn intentionally walks Clemente to face the left handed hitting, Al Oliver. Joe Hoerner is warming up in the bullpen as quickly as he can, but he’s not ready to come into the game yet, so Washburn has to face the left handed hitter. Washburn strikes out the pesky Oliver. Now he is one pitch away from ending the rally and limiting the damage. Unfortunately for Washburn, the Pirates are one pitch away from breaking the game open.
The Pirates win this battle when Manny Sanguillen, who led off the inning with a strikeout, rips a double to left field. Cash scores, Stargell rounds third base and scores. It’s now 6-3 and my dad begins picking up his things and motioning towards the stairs. I must have given him the sad puppy dog face because he sits back down and is willing to give Joe Hoerner a chance.
Well, that didn’t last long. Hoerner couldn’t find the strike zone either, and a wild pitch made the score 7-3. That was it for my dad, and we started our long walk up the steps, around Busch stadium and over to the garage where our car was parked. My dad apologizes several times on the journey, disappointed that the Cardinals didn’t give me a better game. He didn’t understand my sadness was from leaving the game early, not the score. The score didn’t matter as much as just being there with my dad. The walk signaled that this special day was about to come to a conclusion.
As we walked around the stadium, we kept hearing crowd noise. It was eerie, what was there to cheer about ? Just as we were about to leave the stadium, I turned around for one last look at the field and saw Jerry DaVanon standing on second base. Then I heard a crack of a bat, and DaVanon raced all the way home. Standing there for as long as I could, I watched Vada Pinson step up to the plate and hit the ball well out of sight. From that particular angle, I could only see the infield, but the speed of Pinson and Curt Flood rounding the bases, together with the noise of the crowd, told me that the ball had left the field of play. Mentally, I added the score (DaVanon, Flood, Pinson, that’s three). The Cardinals were within just one run, at 7-6.
My dad had already mentally checked out of the game and was now more interested in beating rush hour traffic out of downtown, so we left the stadium. As a consolation, we did listen to the game on the radio. I leaned against the passenger side window, closed my eyes and let the pictures painted by Harry Caray and Jack Buck’s voice fill my mind for the short drive home.
Sal Campisi struggled in relief of Hoerner. Apparently he could not find the strike zone. In two innings of work, Campisi would walk four batters. What had been a swiftly moving game had suddenly come to a near stand-still. This had to be agonizing to watch if we were still sitting in the stadium, but the slow pace actually allowed us to get all the way home so we could finish listening to the game in the comfort of our living room.
As we walked into the house, we were greeted by my mother, who had a bit of a puzzled look on her face, not expecting to see us home so soon. She did have the game on the radio, as she did whenever the Cardinals were playing, so we all sat down to listen to the end.
Phil Gagliano, one of our favorite utility players, led off the inning with a single. He represents the tying run. Vic Davillio, one of those really pesky scrappy guys with great speed, pinch runs for Gagliano. Lou Brock strikes out, and my mom makes a sour face. Curt Flood follows that with a single, but Davillio has to stop at second. Vada Pinson strikes out, for the second out of the inning. My mom makes another sour face. The Pirates are now one pitch away from winning the game, but that pitch would never come.
Joe Torre steps up to the plate. Torre had come into the game as a pinch hitter during the Cardinals big rally in the seventh inning. Like Matt Holliday, Torre could swing that big bat and hit the ball very hard. He hit one right at Al Oliver, who was really an outfielder and not a first baseman, and he boots it. Davillio is flying around the bases and scores all the way from second base on the error. The game is tied at 7, and the speedy Curt Flood is now in scoring position.
Ted Simmons would be the final batter in the game, as he would line a single to right field that easily scored Flood. Somehow, the Cardinals had engineered a late inning comeback, erasing that horrific seventh inning where the Pirates scored seven runs. The Cardinals won the game 8-7. What an unbelievable game.
But it filled a very young baseball fan with a lot of conflicting emotions. There was the exuberance of the win, certainly enhanced by Jack Buck’s description of the actual events. At the same time there was the disappointment that I could have, and if it were totally up to me, would have been there to see this comeback, rather than listen to it on the radio. In hindsight, an additional element of sadness is added as this was the last time I would see Ray Washburn, Curt Flood and Joe Hoerner in a Cardinals uniform, and the visual memory was of them struggling.
But this is not a sad story, because on that day my relationship with baseball changed. Never again would I give up on a game until the last out is recorded. Deficits on the scoreboard become late inning opportunities, not obstacles. I realized on that afternoon in 1969 that my dad and I were just different types of baseball fans. Looking back, I have to thank him for opening up that world by taking me to all of those games when I was young. More than that, I have to thank him for letting me get away with things like hiding a transistor radio under my pillow so I could listen to those late night west coast games.
That’s why, when the Cardinals overcame not one, but two late inning deficits in Game Six, I had to thank my dad for making me the kind of baseball fan that did not give up, sticking with it until the final out was recorded. Although he has been gone for nearly two decades, I know that he was watching that game too, knowing how much I was enjoying it. Thanks, Dad.
While it is hard to look past the contributions of David Freese in the 2011 post-season, a singular award for outstanding performance makes it far too easy to overlook some unbelievable contributions of his teammates, and at times, those of the competition. With that as an introduction, I offer up the Cardinals post-season Massively Valuable But Overlooked Performances – the MVBOPs.
1964 – St. Louis vs New York (Yankees)
Bob Gibson was a very deserving World Series MVP. He entered the fall classic with a growing reputation of being a big game pitcher, and he did not disappoint in his 3 starts. He would win two of those games, including a thrilling ten inning performance in Game Five. Along the way, he would set a record for strikeouts in a World Series by fanning 31 Yankees.
But …….
Tim McCarver should have been the MVP. The young catcher would hit .478 – yes, that’s hit .478 (11 for 23). Add another five walks and his OBP rose to a lofty .552. In those 11 hits, three would be for extra bases (a double, triple and home run). Three of McCarvers five RBIs came in one swing of the bat, making Gibson a Game Five winner in extra innings. If that was not enough, McCarver would steal home, as part of a double steal with Mike Shannon, giving the Cardinals an important early lead in Game Seven.
Honorable mention should go to the NL MVP, Ken Boyer. He hit a pair of home runs, including a grand slam that turned the series around in Game Four. In addition, he was a walking highlight reel on the field. In nearly every game, he made a spectacular play to save a run. One of those even saved the head of NL President, Warren Giles, as Boyer reached far into the seats to make an amazing catch.
For the Yankees, Mickey Mantle and Tom Tresh were downright scary in their production. Mantle would hit 3 home runs and drive in 8 runs. Tresh hit a pair and drove in seven.
1967 – St. Louis vs Boston
By this time, the Bob Gibson’s reputation was firmly established. For him to win another MVP award, he would have to pitch some of the best baseball of his career. And he did just that. This was a preview of what the National League would see throughout all of 1968.
In three starts, Gibson would pitch all 27 innings, allowing just three runs. If you do the math, that is an eye-popping ERA of 1.0. Add 25 strikeouts and just 14 hits allowed for a WHIP of .704. Thanks to a less demanding end to the regular season, the Cardinals were able to set up Gibson’s starts so that he could dominate, and he did.
But…..
Lou Brock was just as important as a catalyst at the top of the order. He would go 12 for 29 in the series, including two doubles, a triple and home run. The Cardinals stole 7 bases in the series, all belonging to Brock. Brock set the table, and …..
Roger Maris cleared it. While the Boston pitchers largely silenced the Cardinals bats, Maris just gave them fits. He would collect 10 hits, including a double and home run. That was good for seven RBIs, leading the team. But it went much farther than that. He would only strike out once, meaning he was putting the ball in play. When you have Lou Brock and Curt Flood on base in front of you, balls in play lead to runs in bunches. And they did in every Cardinals win.
Julian Javier, known more for his defense, also had a very good World Series. He managed the lone hit against Jim Lonborg in Game Two and broke open Game Seven with a big home run. Cardinals fans were thrilled to see Javier have a good series since he missed most of 1964 with an injury.
For the Red Sox, Jim Lonborg matched Bob Gibson until running out of gas in Game Seven. He was simply brilliant, nearly throwing a no-hitter in Game Two. With the exception of Bob Gibson’s three starts, and a sparkling performance from Nelson Briles, the Red Sox were able to hit the rest of the Cardinals pitchers with alarming frequency. Carl “The Mayor” Yazstrzemski led the offensive charge as an extra base hitting machine, slugging a mighty .850.
1968 – St. Louis vs Detroit
Mickey Lolich was the World Series MVP, pitching nearly as well in this series as Gibson did the previous year. Going into the series, Denny McLain was the concern, but Lolich was able to exploit a major weakness in the Cardinals batting order – they just could not hit lefties. And he did so brilliantly.
But……
Bob Gibson’s 1968 was at least as good as that of Lolich. Gibson also threw three complete games, but the difference was a loss in Game Seven. Gibson gave up the same number of runs, allowed fewer hits and walks and set a new major league strikeout record for 17 in a game and 35 in the series. While it would have been very hard not to recognize Lolich’s 3-0 record, it is easy to forget how dominating Gibson was in that series. The difference was one pitch to Jim Northrup.
Also lost in the box score was another great performance from Lou Brock. He would improve on his 1967 numbers, going 13 for 28, with three doubles, a triple and pair of home runs. He would also match his seven stolen bases from 1967. Unfortunately for Brock and the Cardinals, the heart of the batting order was held in check and all those hits and stolen bases largely went for nothing. Lou Brock had truly become the Cardinals “Mr. October”.
Next time we will look at the 1980s and 2000s postseasons, where the MVP selections were a bit more controversial.
As the members of the United Cardinal Bloggers post their top five iconic moments in Cardinals history, Jack Buck’s famous “Go Crazy Folks” call has made more than one appearance. And it should, it is certainly an iconic moment. If you have somehow missed this historic moment, or want to relive it just one more time, take a listen to this.
What the video does not show is the long period of silence following Ozzie Smith’s home run. That might have been the best part of Buck’s call, allowing the moment to play out with the cheering crowd and the sound of fireworks in the background. Obviously captivated by what he just saw, Buck eventually closed it out with recap of the amazing home run.
But it was not just Jack Buck that made this particular home run special. The visuals from that moment are especially powerful. From NBC flashing a graphic pointing out that Ozzie Smith had never hit a home run left handed, the dejected look on Tom Niedenfuer’s face as he walked off the mound, to the faces of the Cardinals fans savoring the victory, the image that is forever burned into our memory is the sight of Ozzie Smith rounding the bases with his fist high in the air.
It is indeed an iconic moment, and I understand why some of the UCB writers have put it on their lists. It is a good, no – it is a great choice. However, from purely a baseball perspective, it is dwarfed in importance by the mammoth home run by Jack Clark in the next game, also surrendered by Tom Niedenfuer. Here’s why.
Momentum in the 1985 NLCS had been very entertaining, and at times frustrating, to watch. The Dodgers looked impressive in the first two games at home, showing that their top two pitchers could match up with the best that the Cardinals had to offer. When the series returned to St. Louis, the running game kicked in and the Cardinals began to take control of the series. After losing Vince Coleman in a terrible pre-game accident, an emotional Cardinals team responded with a blowout, tying the series.
Game Five and been a microcosm of the entire series, with momentum going back and forth. It was with the Cardinals early, but slowly came around to Fernando Valenzuela and the Dodgers. With the game tied at 2-2 in the ninth inning, which happened to be the game score in the series, Ozzie Smith sent the huge St. Louis crowd home in a frenzy.
So far, both teams had won all of their games at home. Now the series returns to Los Angeles and the Dodgers have to like their chances.
In Game Six, the Dodgers got to a struggling Joaquin Andujar early, scoring a run in the first two innings. That lead would extend to 4-1 before Orel Hershiser ran out of gas in the seventh inning. Even with the tying runs in scoring position, momentum was still on the side of the Dodgers. Once again, Ozzie Smith victimized Tom Niedenfuer and the game was tied.
When Mike Marshall led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo home run, the momentum swung hard in favor of the Dodgers. They were just three outs away from tying the series and forcing a decisive Game Seven. They would get the first of those two before Jack Clark stepped up to the plate. With runners at second and third, and two outs, Clark guessed fastball and that’s exactly what he got from Niedenfuer. Clark did not miss and he sent the ball 450ft into the late afternoon Los Angeles sky. If you were watching the game, you still remember Pedro Guerrero slamming his glove into the outfield grass as the ball flew high over his head. He did not even turn around to see the baseball land. That moment was not lost on Pete.
Once again, Jack Buck added to the moment with most memorable call.
Adios, Goodbye and maybe …… that’s a winner.
And that describes exactly what happened. The ball came in fast, Clark took a big swing, and the ball left the field of play in a hurry. That one swing of the bat put the Cardinals in the World Series.
So why do we all remember the Go Crazy moment more than the Clark home run ? There are lot of reasons.
Jack Clark was the Cardinals lone power hitter, and we expect him to hit a home run in that situation.
Ozzie Smith was the last person you expected to hit a home run in that situation.
Ozzie Smith’s home run was hit at home (in St. Louis)
Jack Clark’s happened on the road (in Los Angeles)
Ozzie’s home run was a walk-off.
Clark’s home run, while a game and series winner, was not. There was still more baseball to be played, and that took away from the moment.
Ozzie’s home run caused the huge home town crowd to erupt with noise that went on for several minutes. The sounds of fireworks in the background added to the excitement.
Clark’s home run silenced the Dodgers crowd and the only excitement was supplied by Jack Buck’s call.
Ozzie Smith’s home run happened later in the evening, when most TV viewers were home from work.
Clark’s home run happened during the evening rush hour, and many did not see it happen live.
If Ozzie Smith does not hit that home run, the game goes on. Maybe the Cardinals still win it in extra innings, maybe they don’t. Either way, the series did not come to an end. If Clark does not get a hit in his at-bat, that game also ends and forces a winner take all Game Seven. His home run, not only gave the Cardinals the lead, but also added a much needed insurance run, making it that much harder for the Dodgers to tie or win the game. Ultimately, Clark’s homer sent the Cardinals to the 1985 World Series.
Iconic vs important, Ozzie vs The Ripper. You make the call.
This can also be applied to another item making most of the UCB top 5 lists: Game Six of the World Series. It was surely an exciting game, and a perfect reflection of how the Cardinals had played for the last two months of the regular season. But it was not a good game. Errors on both sides gave up important leads. Both bullpens gave up late leads in the worst possible situations. David Freese’s game tying triple in the ninth inning was just as much Nelson Cruz not going hard into the outfield wall as it was a clutch hit. And what was Ron Washington thinking when he brought Darren Oliver into the game in the tenth inning?
Exciting ? Off the charts. As a baseball game, it was sloppy, sloppy sloppy. If you want to see a great baseball game, go back a couple of weeks to Game Five of the NLDS in Philadelphia. Now that was a nearly perfect baseball game.
When you look back on the career of David Eckstein, one word comes to mind: scrappy. Every sport has them, players that you cheer for when they are on your team but quickly get under your skin when they are on the opposition. In hockey, there was Pat Verbeek. Basketball had John Stockton. Baseball had, well lots of these characters.
So what makes a player scrappy ?
Perhaps Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart was thinking about this when he wrote his famous decision on obscenity, back in 1964. Paraphrasing, he could not define what it was, but he could recognize it when he sees it. I feel that way about scrappiness on the baseball diamond, but that doesn’t mean we can’t come up with some guidelines.
Characteristics of a scrappy baseball player include
Overachieving – playing bigger than their size or overcoming some sort of limitation
Versatility – ability to play lots of positions, and do so well
Charisma – they have to be noticed, on your team or as an opponent
Longevity – you never remember the splinter that was easily removed
Winner – all of this scrappiness needs to lead to something positive
The term scrappy has been thrown around quite frequently in the last few years (Skip Schumaker, Nick Punto, Daniel Descalso), leaving you to believe that this is a recent phenomenon. It is not – we’ve always enjoyed (or hated) scrappy ballplayers, as long as I can remember. And yes, we even called them scrappy back then, just not quite so repetitively.
Without any further delay, here is my Cardinals Scrappy Hall of Fame
Mike Shannon
Mike Shannon (1965), being all serious
On the surface, Shannon might seem to be an odd selection here, but let me assure you, there was nobody more scrappy than the Moon Man when he played the game. Shannon was a big man and a gifted athlete, but when he put on a Cardinals uniform, he was much larger than his 6ft 3in frame suggested.
It didn’t always look pretty when balls were hit to him in the outfield, especially when he played alongside one of the best in the game, Curt Flood. Through some genuinely hilarious bumbling and stumbling came a maximum effort, and he made some of the most dazzling plays you’ve ever seen. He also possessed a cannon of an arm, which was an asset from right field, but maybe not so much from third base (unless you were a fan sitting thirty rows behind Orlando Cepeda).
The most surprising thing about Shannon was they he was only a .250 hitter. I have so many memories of him getting a clutch hit, or part of a running game at a critical point in a game, that just doesn’t seem right. Perhaps it was the fact you could count on him to hit a dozen or so home runs, and rely on 50 RBIs per year – from the bottom of the batting order.
Shannon earns a versatility award when he made the move from right field to third base in 1967, making room for Roger Maris. It was tough at first, but he eventually learned to play the position confidently.
Sadly, kidney disease ended his career in 1970 at age 30. It was far too early to say goodbye to a fan favorite. Fortunately we didn’t have to as he join Jack Buck in the Cardinals radio booth two years later. The two would call Cardinals games together for the better part of three decades. His broadcasting career mimicked his playing days, mumbling and stumbling at first, but eventually winning fans over with his unique charm. Like Harry Caray, Mike Shannon would never be called a technically skilled broadcaster, but nobody can tell a story or convey their love of the game and the team quite like Mike Shannon. Like with Jack and Harry, it will be a very sad day in Cardinals nation when Mike Shannon hangs up the headset.
Phil Gagliano
Phil Gagliano, always smiling
Gagliano was one of Harry Caray’s favorites, probably because it was one of the few names that didn’t trip him up in the late innings of a broadcast. That’s good, because that’s when you would see Gagliano the most, as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement. In the field, Gagliano’s size would allow him to play all four infield positions, including first base. He would also see time at both corner outfield positions, but his biggest contributions would come as a pinch hitter.
Gagliano was one of the three utility players that played for all three NL Pennant teams (1964, 1967 and 1968). The other two were Ed Spiezio and Dal Maxvill. Ironically, Gagliano would not play in the 1964 World Series as he was sent down to the minors in July to give Ed Spiezio an opportunity.
The thing to remember about Gagliano, besides his versatility in the field, was his uncanny ability to be in the middle of a big offensive moment, not unlike Skip Schumaker. Just when you think the game is over, Gagliano will come up with a big hit, beat out a grounder or lay down a perfect bunt.
When Julian Javier went on the disabled list in 1965, courtesy of a Vern Law fastball, it was Phil Gagliano that eventually took over second base duties. Perhaps the grind of playing every day took it’s toll, but Gagliano turned in a fine offensive season, hitting close to .300 before tailing off to .240 at seasons end. He would also display a bit of unexpected power, hitting 8 home runs and driving in 53 runs.
After a rough start to the 1970 season, Gagliano was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Ted Abernathy, a right handed submariner that most players called “Abernasty” because he was brutally effective against right handed hitters. He would bounce around, eventually ending up in Cincinnati where he was a very effective pinch hitter for their champtionship team in 1973.
Larry Jackson
What, you didn’t think a pitcher could be scrappy ? After reading this, you might think differently. The tall and somewhat slender, and that’s an important part of this story, right hander was hit by a shattered bat during an exhibition game in 1961. Jackson would be sent to the hospital where it was learned that his jaw was broken, and would have to be wired shut. That would also force him into a liquid diet where it would be hard to get the proper nourishment to support a professional baseball player’s activities.
We learned a lot about Jackson’s toughness as he returned exactly one month after the incident. Still not quite healed, and losing a tremendous amount of weight from his liquid diet, Jackson struggled for the first two months of the season. But here’s what you need to remember about Jackson, other than his toughness. Once he got his weight back up and his stamina returned, he pitched some of the best baseball of his career. He would go 13-3 from July 1 to the end of the season, and by August the complete games and shutouts we had come to expect from Jackson returned like the prodigal son.
Sadly for Cardinals fans, Jackson’s career year would come in 1964, not as a member of the Cardinals, but with the rival Chicago Cubs. His 24-11 record and 3.14 ERA was exactly what Cardinals fans saw during the second half of 1961, and it was good enough for second place in the Cy Young voting, behind Dean Chance of the Angels, and ahead of another pitcher you might have heard of, Sandy Koufax.
The career of Larry Jackson should be remembered as one of greatness and incredible toughness. He was one of the best pitchers who had the misfortune of playing for some of the worst teams, the 1950s Cardinals included.
Ron Hunt
Ron "Scrappy" Hunt
The St. Louis native only played 12 games for the Cardinals, so we tend to remember him more as pesky than scrappy, but if there was ever a player that deserved to be on this list, it is Ron Hunt.
Originally drafted by the Milwaukee Braves, Hunt would find himself part of the expansion New York Mets. In 1963, the 22 year old infielder became the every day second baseman for the Mets. Unfortunately, that was also the same year that Pete Rose broke into the major leagues, so Hunt had to settle for a second place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting.
Ron Hunt went from a good hitting second baseman to the King of Scrappy when he was traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1968. When your batting average falls to .250 and you are hitting in front of Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Jim Ray Hart, you find any way to get on base. And Hunt did exactly that. He would choke way up on the bat, and stand on the far inside part of the batters box, daring pitchers to hit him. And they did, 25 times that season, 25 the next and 26 the season after that. If they didn’t hit him, he would just poke the ball into the outfield, driving opposing fans crazy.
His most insane season was 1971, his first year with the Montreal Expos. He would be hit 50 times that year – that’s once every 12 times he stepped into the batters box. For seven consecutive season, including his last, Hunt would lead the National League in hit by pitches. Amazingly, he would be hit 243 times over his 12 year career, turning a career .273 batting average into a whopping .368 on base percentage. Scrappy indeed.
If you need any more convincing, if you look up Ron Hunt at baseball-reference.com, you will see the name David Eckstein in his “similar by hitters” list. I think that says it all.
Rex Hudler
Rex Hudler (photo by Otto Greule, Jr.)
One look at Rex Hudler’s 1990 season with the Cardinals will tell you all you need to know about the “Wonder Dog”. In 89 games, Hudler would spend time at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left right and center field. That’s right, all the positions except for the battery. Where most players have a single position listed as most frequent in their baseball-reference entry, Hudler had three (the two corner outfield spots and second base).
Hudler played hard and brought an enthusiasm to the game that quickly made him a fan favorite. Unfortunately, it also brought more than his share of injuries, and he would find himself on the disabled list, some times for more than a month.
After the Cardinals released him in 1992, he spent a season in Japan before returning to finish out his career with the California Angels and Philadelphia Phillies.
Tito Landrum
Whitey Herzog has his share of scrappy players, and one of the best was Tito Landrum. Landrum could play all three outfield positions, but constant battles with injuries and inconsistency at the plate left him in a platoon role as the fourth outfielder. His big moment came in the 1985 post-season when Vince Coleman was injured by the automatic tarp machine. Landrum took Coleman’s place in left field and hit .429 with 4 RBIs in the NLCS, and .360 with a home run in the World Series.
The other thing we will remember about Tito Landrum was an uncomfortable platoon situation with Andy van Slyke in 1985 and 86. Whitey Herzog was convinced that van Slyke, a left handed hitter, could not hit left handed pitching, so he opted to use Landrum in those situations. That led to a most unpopular trade before the start of the 1987 season, when the Cardinals sent Andy van Slyke to the Pirates. While Landum’s offensive production declined sharply, van Slyke became a star, winning multiple Gold Gloves and All Star Game invitations.
Whether it was the big hair sticking out from under his cap, the gigantic smile he always seemed to have, or how he helped pick up the Cardinals when Vince Coleman went down, Tito Landrum will always have a special place in the hearts of Cardinals fans.
Jose Oquendo
The secret weapon. With Albert Pujols running through Oquendo’s stop signs at third base (hey Angels fans, get used to that), it is easy to forget how important Jose Oquendo was to the Cardinals 1987 NL Championship team. Before taking a look at that, I would like to ask one simple question.
What were the New York Mets thinking when they let Oquendo get away ? Didn’t they know what they had ?
The Cardinals certainly did, and just before the start of the 1985 season, the Cardinals acquired the young Mets infielder in a minor league deal that flew under the radar. The Cardinals wanted Oquendo as an insurance policy, in case they were unable to resign Ozzie Smith to a long term contract. If they could not sign Smith, he would be traded before reaching free agency and Ivan de Jesus would take over at first, eventually giving way to Oquendo.
But Ozzie did sign, and that seemed to leave Oquendo without a position. Or did it ? Oquendo made the club when the Cardinals broke camp in 1986, and he was used sparingly as a pinch hitter. Who knew the kid could hit ? He hit, and hit, and hit and hit. He would carry a .300 batting average until late in the season. He was also a very good defender with an amazing arm and that allowed Whitey Herzog to play Oquendo anywhere on the field. And he did. At first it was middle infield and occasionally in the outfield, but he would play 8 different positions in 1987 and finally all 9 in 1988. Oquendo can’t quite match Aaron Miles career numbers, but there was a 19 inning game against Atlanta where Oquendo pitched three scoreless innings before finally giving up a pair of runs and taking the loss. It was a gutsy performance that only added to his scrappy resume.
Know primarily as a singles hitter, one of Oquendo’s greatest moments came by way of the long ball in Game Seven of the NLCS. Trailing the Giants three games to two, the Cardinals returned home needing to win the last two games to advance to the World Series. John Tudor pitched a gem in Game Six, shutting out the Giants 1-0, with a little help from the bullpen. In the decisive Game Seven, Jose Oquendo steps up to the plate with one out in the second inning. The bases are loaded, courtesy of one well hit single and two grounders that just found a gap between the Giants infielders. A double play and the Giants are out of the jam. Atlee Hammaker, the Giants starter, was suddenly struggling. A passed ball allowed the first run to score. Perhaps still thinking about that, Hammaker grooves a pitch to Oquendo and he turns on it, hitting a three run homer. That would make the score 4-0, and the Giants would never threaten again in the series. They went quietly as Danny Cox threw a complete game shutout.
After the departure of Tommy Herr, Oquendo took over at second base and he lost something of his scrappiness. He was still the same feisty player, slapping the ball over the infielders heads and getting in the face of Will Clark, but seeing him play just one position seemed a little strange.
This is my inaugural list, and there will be more over time. Later we will take up the case of So Taguchi, Skip Schumaker and a father/son pair – Ed and Scott Spiezio.
The end of August had the Cardinals taking a brutal 12 game road trip. They would first travel west to Los Angeles for three games, east to Houston for the next three, back to the west coast for three with the Giants and then all the way across the country to end with three games in Philadelphia. The league had not yet figured out how to deal efficiently with expansion and the two new west coast teams.
Pennant hopes had been high for the Cardinals to start the 1963 season, but a 3-6 record over the last games had them 6 1/5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers with a month to play. In a foreshadowing of their historic pennant chase the next year, the Cardinals were about to close that gap to just a single game. It all started with the three game series in Philadelphia.
Ken Boyer
The Redbirds made a winner out of Ray Sadecki in the opener, thanks to a huge offensive explosion in the late innings. A pair of errors and series of singles led to five runs in the seventh, and a big three run homer by Ken Boyer in the ninth gave the Cards an 11-6 win.
Ernie Broglio couldn’t hold a two run lead in the ninth, and the second game went into extra innings. For the second time in two games, Ken Boyer came up big. This time it was a two run homer in the eleventh inning, and Bobby Shantz was the winner in relief.
That brings us to the series finale and a battle of lefties. The Phillies would send the hard throwing Chris Short to the mound. He would face the former Phillies Whiz Kid, Curt Simmons. It was an amazing pairing as Short was exactly to the current Phillies, what Simmons had been to them a decade earlier.
Curt Simmons
Both pitchers would struggle early, but got through their respective first innings without allowing a run. It was what happened in the second inning that makes this one for the history books.
Tim McCarver would lead off the inning with a single. Forget that McCarver was a catcher, he had good speed and the innings had yet to take their toll on his legs. That would come into play when Curt Simmons stepped up to the plate with one out. Not known as a particularly good hitter, Simmons rips a triple off Short and McCarver scores all the way from first base. The Cardinals had a 1-0 lead.
Julian Javier is the next up, a right handed hitter. Javier would effectively block Simmons from the prying eyes of Phillies catcher, Bob Oldis. As with most hard throwing pitchers, Chris Short had something of a long delivery to the plate. Since he was a lefty, that allowed Simmons to take a bit of a longer lead than if he had been a right hander.
Perhaps taking a bit of a chance to give his hometown crowd something to cheer about, Simmons does the unthinkable – a straight steal of home plate. This was right out of the Jackie Robinson play book. Nothing but pure guts, except with Simmons there might have been just a bit of luck. Catching the Phillies totally off guard, Simmons slides in safe and the Cardinals led, 2-0.
Stealing home, especially in that era, was generally the end result of a double steal. Straight steals of home plate were, and still are, relatively rare and few of them happen in the second inning of a game. Fewer still are done by a pitcher. In fact, no pitcher since Simmons has stolen home sucessfully (courtesy of our friends over at SABR).
The Cardinals would extend their lead to 5-0 the next inning, and finally 6-0 on another home run by Ken Boyer, the third in as many days. Simmons would throw a complete game, and the Cardinals won, 7-3, sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies.
The winning would continue when St. Louis returned home. The suddenly red hot Cardinals would sweep a three game series with the Pirates, two with the Mets, take three of four at Pittsburgh, and sweep a pair of four game series against the Cubs and Braves. That’s a 19-1 record over 20 games, and it was good enough to pull the Cardinals to within one game of the Dodgers.
Unfortunately, the miracle of 1963 would end there as St. Louis would win just two of their last ten games and the Dodgers would win the NL Pennant. But the experience gained from that exciting month of baseball helped the Cardinals the following season as they caught, and finally passed the same Philadelphia Phillies on the way to their first World Series title since 1946.
As for Curt Simmons, he was something special. At one time an unhittable flame thrower, retooled as a crafty and deceptive veteran who had mastered the curveball, Simmons would win 18 games for the Cardinals in 1964 and would finally get his chance to pitch in a World Series.
June 2, 2012 will be the 65th anniversary of a most amazing exhibition game, played in Egypt, Pennsylvania. The Phillies, who were scouting high school players in the Lehigh Valley area, played an exhibition game against a group of local all stars. The starting pitcher for the high school team was Curt Simmons. He struck out 11 Phillies on the day, making quite an impression. Thanks to a late error, the game ended in a 4-4 tie – the high schoolers nearly beat the big leaguers.
The city of Egypt will be honoring Curt Simmons with a parade and special ceremony as they dedicate the newly rebuilt field as “Simmons Field”. You can find out more about Curt Simmons Day at egyptpark.org. If you live in the Philadelphia area, I hope you can make it out to Egypt to honor one of the game’s good guys.
For the January project, United Cardinal Bloggers members will be writing about their top five iconic moments in Cardinals history. Really, Daniel ? Just five ? No way. Seriously. I can think of five iconic moments, just in the 1964 season alone (the Lou Brock trade, Al Jackson nearly ending the season for the Cardinals, the final game of the regular season, Ken Boyer’s grand slam, and Gibson throwing a gem in Game Seven).
But rules are rules, so I give you my Top 5 Iconic Moments in Cardinals history, or at least the last half century.
5. September 8, 1998 – Mark McGwire hits number 62
For the next few moments, we will have to suspend any pretense of indignation over the steroids era. We all remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when Mark McGwire passed Roger Maris for the single season home run record. That’s why this is Iconic Moment Number 5.
I was passing through the Salt Lake City airport, on my way home from Boise, Idaho. Between the two gates, and with about 15 minutes of time before my next flight boarded, I found a little bar that was showing the game. As I stepped in, the Cardinals were batting in the fourth inning, and Fernando Tatis had just struck out. The huge crowd noise from St. Louis, and raised voices in the bar, told me that Mark McGwire was coming up to the plate.
All I saw was the one Steve Trachsel delivery, but it was enough as McGwire hit a hard line drive down the left field line. The only question was whether it was high enough to clear the outfield wall. It was and then there was pandemonium in the stadium, the small Salt Lake City airport bar, and just about everywhere else in the country. Baseball was back, and we had a new hero.
It is easy to forget that baseball had suffered a black eye just a few years earlier when a strike ended the 1994 season prematurely and deprived fans of a season champion. Even die hard baseball fans stayed away once play resumed in 1995. Attendance was down all across both leagues and the sport was seriously in need of some sort of event or charismatic hero to bring them back. Three men did exactly that: Cal Ripken closing in on Lou Gehrig’s consecutive game record and the single season home run record chase by Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.
What made they McGwire and Sosa race so special is that they were generally likable players who played for rival teams, both with their own rich history. In many respects, this was similar to the great home run race between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961, just with a twist. Cardinals fans may have been a bit more personally committed during this historic battle because the legacy of Busch Stadium was one of hostility towards the long ball. Even after major renovations in 1995, it was at best a fair ballpark. While there had been some great power hitters in St. Louis, there was never a thought of a Cardinal winning the home run title, much less setting the single season record.
Until 1998.
But it was more than just fans of the Cubs and Cardinals watching closely during the late summer in 1998. ESPN would run regular McGwire and Sosa updates, occasionally breaking into their coverage when one of them came up to bat. We were all glued to our televisions as the home run counts went up, 55, 56, 57 and then 58. Which one would break the record, and would they be able to keep it through the end of the season.
To make this moment perfect, the record was broken in St. Louis, against the Cubs with Sammy Sosa playing in right field. Sammy Sosa applauded McGwire, and Big Mac returned the gesture towards Sosa. And then the sequence of images we will all remember: Dave McKay pointing at first base, McGwire hugging Scott Servais of the Cubs before touching home plate, McGwire hoisting his son high into the air and giving him a kiss and then Big Mac jumping into the stands to spend a moment with the Maris family. If you have somehow forgotten all of this, you can relive this moment by watching this video.
Tell me that you didn’t get goosebumps while watching that video. While watching the video, it struck me how hard Mark McGwire ran to first base on that historic home run. If there was ever one time to stand and admire, it would have been that home run, but McGwire knew that his team was down 2-0 at that point, and he would have plenty of time to admire it later. It was not a sure thing, and if it didn’t leave the park, McGwire wanted to be standing safely on second base.
The iconic moment did not end there. The two would battle for the remainder of the season, with Sosa pulling ahead of McGwire for a few games. More important though, was the attention St. Louis received during this great season. The additional revenue from attendance, both at home and away, gave the Cardinals money to invest in free agents and extending the contracts of their core players. That allowed Walt Jocketty to retool the team into a perennial contender, and the impact of that can be still seen on the current roster.
4. October 1995 – Bill DeWitt, Jr. Buys the Cardinals
With six trips into post-season over the last decade, three trips to the World Series and two titles, it is easy to forget what the Cardinals were like in mid 1990s. Whitey Herzog had been a magician with the payroll that he had been given from the Brewery in the 1980s, but things were much different since the passing of August Busch, Jr. Good players were traded, or allowed to leave in free agency, instead of being extended and helping the team win. Jack Clark, John Tudor, Gregg Jefferies are just a few examples. Ozzie Smith’s popularity was probably the only thing that kept him in a Cardinals uniform during this period.
That all ended following the 1995 season, when a new ownership group, headed by Bill DeWitt, Jr., bought the franchise from the Brewery. Although a resident of Cincinnati, DeWitt understood the unique relationship between baseball and the city of St. Louis. His father, Bill DeWitt, Sr,. had been long associated with both teams in St. Louis, first with the Cardinals, then moving over to the Browns as an executive, eventually owning the team for a short while.
The first move the new ownership team made was as significant as any trade in Cardinals history, and that took place on October 23. The Cardinals signed former Oakland Athletics manager, Tony La Russa, to be the new manager of the Cardinals. La Russa was considered one of the best managers in either leagues. La Russa followed in turn by bringing over some of his coaches from Oakland: Dave Duncan, Joe Pettini, Dave McKay. Then came some of his former players from Oakland: Todd Stottlmyre, Rick Honeycutt, Mike Gallego, Dennis Eckersley. The retooling went swiftly, but not without incident.
One casualty was Ozzie Smith, and it would remain as something of a dark cloud hanging over the La Russa time in St. Louis. The fan favorite, now 41 years old, was replaced by a younger Royce Clayton, in spite of Smith playing better than Clayton. Ironically, it would be Ozzie Smith, not Royce Clayton, representing the Cardinals in the All Star Game, for the last time in his hall of fame career. Smith would announce his retirement before the end of the season. Interestingly, his number would be retired before the beginning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds. At least somebody understood how important Ozzie Smith was to the St. Louis area.
La Russa’s team won the division in his first season in St. Louis, coming to within a game of going to the World Series. October baseball had returned to St. Louis, and would regularly for the next 16 years.
3. October 27, 2011 – Game Six of the World Series
In a season full of iconic moments, the greatest of them occurred during Game Six of the 2011 World Series. The Cardinals had been counted out in August, when the Brewers ran away with the National League Central title. The Atlanta Braves would be crowned shortly after as the NL Wild Card team, but a late season collapse opened a door for the “Never Say Die” Cardinals. The NLDS was supposed to be a mere formality, not even a speed bump on the Philadelphia Phillies road to the World Series. Somebody forgot to tell David Freese, Lance Berkman, the bullpen, and especially Chris Carpenter, who threw a 3 hit shutout in the decisive Game Five.
Entering the World Series, the Cardinals were the underdog to the heavily favored Texas Rangers. The two teams played a most entertaining series, with the games going back and forth. There were close games, the first two decided by a single run. There were blowouts. There were pitching gems.
And then there was Game Six.
If you are looking for a well played game, look elsewhere – this was not one of those. But if you want entertainment, this one was off the charts. The Cardinals took an early lead, thanks to a 2 run homer off the bat of Lance Berkman. The Rangers would tie the game in second inning, before both pitchers, Colby Lewis for the Rangers and Jaime Garcia for the Cardinals, looked to be settling in.
Then came the Cardinals defensive mistakes. A harmless fly ball to left field turned into a base runner when Matt Holliday, who probably should not have been in the game, dropped the ball. Memories of the 2009 NLDS in Los Angeles spread across Cardinals Nation like a wildfire. A seeing eye single by Mike Napoli would give the Rangers the lead. Things turned worse moments later when Cardinals reliever, Fernando Salas, threw a Colby Lewis bunt into center field for the second error in the inning.
Miscues were not the sole property of the Cardinals as a Rangers error in the bottom of the third fourth inning allowed the Cardinals to tie the game.
Another Cardinals error, this time on a routine infield pop up to David Freese, gave the Rangers another chance, they they took the lead on a Michael Young double.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, a bases loaded walk would tie the game again, this time at 4 runs each. Back and forth the game went, just like the series itself.
Back to back home runs by Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz to start the seventh inning would give the Rangers the lead again. They would extend the lead to 7-4 later in the inning with a clutch single by Ian Kinsler. Leading 3 games to two in the World Series, it seemed to many as if the Rangers would win the World Series. Not to Cardinals fans – we had seen this oh so many times over the last three months. It isn’t over until the last out, or as would be in this case, last run is recorded.
The turning point in the game would occur with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning. Allen Craig, in for the injured Matt Holliday, would hit a solo home run off Derek Holland. That would bring the Cardinals to within two runs, which turned out to be significant in about 10 minutes.
Neftali Feliz took over for the Rangers in the ninth inning, to protect the now two run lead, and give them their first World Series in franchise history. 72 saves over the last two seasons, an ERA under 3, and already 2 saves in the 2011 World Series, the Cardinals really had their backs against the wall this time. Two things were in the Cardinals favor: they had been able to get to Feliz earlier, and this was not the first time they had been in a must win situation. Both of those would come into play as the Cardinals did the unthinkable.
With one out, Albert Pujols doubles. Lance Berkman walks, putting the tying run on base. Feliz totally overmatches Allen Craig, and he strikes out for the second out in the inning. David Freese steps to the plate and patiently waits for his pitch. Cardinals fans were standing, but many of them had their rally towels over their eyes, afraid to look, yet peeking through, afraid to miss the magic. That magical moment would occur on a 1-2 pitch, just as the Fox affiliate in Dallas/Ft. Worth sends out a text alert that the Rangers had Won the World Series.
In a moment that David Freese and Nelson Cruz will remember the rest of their lives, Freese hits a hard line drive to right field. Cruz did not get back in time, perhaps underestimating how hard it had been hit, and the ball sailed over his head and hit the outfield wall.
To quote Joe Buck,
“And now the Rangers are one strike away. Into right, well hit. Back at the wall, it’s off the wall. One run scores, Here comes Berkman. Freese has tied it, 7-7. Unbelievable.”
Yes, Joe, unbelievable. But the best was yet to come.
Josh Hamilton would put the Rangers on top again with a two run homer in the tenth inning. Once again, the Cardinals would come up to bat, having to score two runs to extend the game. And once again, they did that.
With Daniel Descalso and Jon Jay leading off the inning, both left handed hitters, Ron Washington went with his lefty reliever, Darren Oliver. Both Descalso and Jay single off Oliver, putting the tying runs on base. Edwin Jackson pinch hits for Jason Motte, and in an unusual move, even for Tony La Russa, Kyle Lohse pinch hits for the pinch hitter. Lohse bunts the ball over the head of a hard charging Adrian Beltre. Elvis Andrus makes a good play to come off third base his throw makes it is a close play at first. Lohse is out, but the tying runs are now in scoring position with one out.
Ryan Theriot grounds out, scoring Descalso. The score is now 9-8. Albert Pujols is intentionally walked, bringing Lance Berkman to the plate. Rangers reliever Scott Feldman works the count to 2-2. Once again, the Cardinals are down their last strike. And for the second time in an many innings, Cardinals fans are peek out from behind gloves, scarves and rally towels.
Once again, Joe Buck.
“The tying run is at second base. In the air to right center, this game is tied. Going to third is Pujols, and it’s 9-9.
They just won’t go away.”
With the Rangers outfielders at “no doubles” depth, Berkman pokes the ball over the infield and Jay scores easily from second.
After Jake Westbrook pitches a scoreless eleventh for the Cardinals, David Freese steps up to the plate to start the home half of the inning . Earlier in the game, the Fox Sports trivia question was about World Series Game Sixes that ended with a home run. It was as if they knew what was coming.
For one last time, Joe Buck
“Freese hits it in the air to center. We will see you tomorrow night”
Both Joe Buck and Tim McCarver had the wisdom to stay quiet and let the drama of the moment play out with nothing but the crowd noise.
Perhaps the most entertaining call of this play comes from the BBC.
Cardinals fans will forever remember the seeing giant scoreboard, with it’s bright red background, proclaiming “See you tomorrow night!”.
2. July 6, 1961: Johnny Keane takes over
After a successful run in the 1940s, hard times had come to the Cardinals as a series of shady financial deals by the owner sent the team to the cellar of the National League. The franchise was rescued in 1953 when August “Gussie” Busch, Jr. bought the team. Busch wanted a winning team as a way to market Anheuser Busch products to a national audience, and he started making the changes necessary to accomplish that goal.
It was slow going at first, but under new General Manager, Bing Devine, the talent level of the team improved. Players like Bob Gibson, Ray Washburn, Ray Sadecki and Tim McCarver were scouted and developed. Where the the talent was missing in the farm system, trades for players such as Bill White, Julian Javier and Curt Flood were made. The Cardinals were becoming a very good team, yet winning seemed to allude them.
Solly Hemus, the last player-manager for the Cardinals, had taken over in 1959. Hemus had a fiery personality, and seemed a good fit for a team that was in rebuilding mode. Unfortunately, his tough approach did not seem to work with all of the players, especially some of the young African-American players. Bob Gibson spent as much time in the bullpen as he did a starter and Curt Flood was a platoon outfielder, playing behind Carl Warwick. Nobody was clear of their role, and a mistake could land you on the bench, or worse, back in the minor leagues.
In late June, 1961, the Cardinals went into a prolonged slump, losing 10 of their last 15 games, falling 14 1/2 behind the Cincinnati Reds. That was enough for Gussie and Bing Devine, and they made a change in the dugout, making long time minor league manager and coach, Johnny Keane the new Cardinals skipper.
The first thing that Keane did was to establish roles for some of his players. He would turn center field duties over to Curt Flood, and he responded quickly, hitting .337 for the remainder of the season. Flood would turn into one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball as well as a dependable .300 hitter at the top of the batting order. Bob Gibson would be his next project and the hard throwing right hander became one of the best right handed pitchers in baseball history. Stan Musial was taken off the bench and put back in the outfield where he could finish out his Hall of Fame career on a high note.
Keane could be just as hard as Hemus when he needed to be. Perhaps the best example of that came in a game against the Cincinnati Reds on June 5, 1962. Trailing 4-1, Johnny Keane brought young lefty, Ray Sadecki, into the game to hold the score. Sadecki had been a top prospect, shooting through the Cardinals farm system and in the rotation at age 19. Inconsistency, a trait that would haunt Sadecki for most of his career, put him in the bullpen in 1962 with the hopes that he would work things out and return to the rotation.
No matter how bad you could imagine an inning could go, it was nothing like what happened to the young lefty. A leadoff home run by the opposing pitcher, a single, two errors by Sadecki brought Frank Robinson up to the plate. A three run homer by the future Hall of Famer gave the Reds a 9-1 lead, and Sadecki a trip to the showers. As a result, Sadecki missed the celebration when Stan Musial hit a walk-off home run in the eleventh inning.
That was just the beginning for Keane and Sadecki. Keane called him into his office the next day and fined him for his performance, questioning his effort. Sadecki objected to that characterization, and the two got into a shouting match that eventually led to Sadecki asking to be traded. Thinking he was suspended, he did not show up the following day, which led to him actually getting suspended. After more inconsistent performances, Sadecki ended up back in the minors where he obliterated the AAA hitters.
During the off season, Bing Devine and Ray Sadecki worked things out and the young lefty returned to the team, and took back his position in the rotation. Keane and Sadecki maintained something of a cool relationship throughout the remainder of their time together. Keane never warmed to Sadecki, constantly poking him, but Sadecki had the last laugh when he won 20 games and became a big part of the Cardinals amazing 1964 season. When it came to Game One of the World Series, it was Sadecki on the mound for the opener, and he was the winner.
Another element that Keane brought to the Cardinals was speed. One player he had his eyes on was a young but inconsistent outfielder in Chicago named Lou Brock. He realized what a player like Brock could bring to a team like the Cardinals. Keane got his wish in June 1964, when the Cardinals sent fan favorite, Ernie Broglio, to Chicago for the relatively unknown Brock. As he had done with Curt Flood, Keane put Brock out in left field and near the top of the batting order and it didn’t matter how many times he struck out or how many errors he made in the outfield. He was the every day left fielder. And he transformed the Cardinals into a team that would go to the World Series three times in the decade, winning twice. Whitey Herzog would use a similar approach, taking his team to three more World Series two decades later.
1. July 15, 1967 – Bob Gibson breaks his leg
The Cardinals had overcome adversity just a month earlier when Ray Washburn had broken his hand while pitching a gem in Los Angeles. While missing nearly a month, a young hard thrower named Jim Cosman had filled in admirably, but wildness had started becoming a problem for the young right hander. In Wasburn’s absence, the Cardinals had built up a 4 game lead over the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. Just as Washburn was activated from the disabled list, tragedy again struck the Cardinals, and this time it could mean the end of their pennant hopes.
It happened fourth inning of a home game on July 15. Leading off for the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates was Roberto Clemente. He hit a hard line drive up the middle that hit Bob Gibson in the right leg, just above his ankle. You could hear the sound of the ball hitting his leg clearly over the radio, and the hushed voices of Harry Caray and Jack Buck added to the drama of the moment.
Eventually, Gibson got up and indicated he would stay in the game, unaware that his leg was broken. He walked Willie Stargell and then got Bill Mazeroski to fly out to center field. On a 3-2 pitch to Donn Clendenon, Gibson reached back for a little something extra. His leg gave out and he was down again, writhing in pain. This time he would not get up.
The news for Gibson and the Cardinals was not good. Their star right-hander would miss the next two months, most of that time being spent in a cast. Not only was his timetable for returning questionable, not many players had returned from such a serious injury – not just in 2 months, but ever. And certainly not to a 32 year old starting pitcher.
If ever there was a time for a team to give up, the afternoon of July 15 was it. But this group of plucky Cardinals was not about to let that happen. Whether it was the vivacious Orlando Cepeda yelling “Viva el Birdos”, or the unhittable slider being thrown by Dick Hughes, the team rallied without their ace and extended their lead to 12 games before Gibson returned in September. The hero was a young right-hander named Nelson Briles, who filled in for the injured Gibson. He would win 10 games in a row, including a nifty complete game against the Red Sox in Game Three of the World Series. The forgotten hero was rookie Dick Hughes, who really took over as the ace of a very young pitching staff, and was just brilliant for the final three months of the season.
This iconic moment does not end with the game against Pirates, the miraculous season of Dick Hughes, the emergence of Nelson Briles, the Cardinals winning the NL Pennant or even Bob Gibson’s total domination of the Red Sox in the World Series.
It carried on through the next season where Bob Gibson totally dominated opposing hitters, as if he had something to prove. Perhaps he did as he was unable to carry the Cardinals to the NL Pennant as he did in 1964. Instead, he rewrote the history book with one of the greatest pitching seasons in baseball history: 22-9, a 1.12 ERA, 13 shutouts, 28 complete games, and NL MVP and the first of his two Cy Young Awards. The scariest thing about Bob Gibson was that he even pitched better than that when he returned from the disabled list in 1967.
The 1967 and 1968 seasons were the most exciting in my lifetime. The thing that I remember most from that period was how a team did not let something like losing their best pitcher get in the way of winning a World Series title. I guess the same thing can be said about the 2011 Cardinals.
As with any top 5 list, some great moments had be left off. Those would include
Ken Boyer’s grand slam in the 1964 World Series
Bob Gibson pitching on one day rest to win the 1964 NL Pennant
Lou Brock breaking the single season and career stolen base records
Bob Gibson’s no hitter
Bob Gibson’s 3000th strikeout
Bob Forsch’s two no-hitters
Bruce Sutter striking out Gorman Thomas to end Game Seven of the 1982 World Series
Ozzie Smith’s “Go crazy folks” home run in the 1985 NLCS
Jack Clark’s “Adios, Goodbye and maybe that’s a winner” home run in the 1885 NLCS
Terry Pendleton’s home run to center field at Shea Stadium
Bob Gibson vs Denny McLain in Game One of the 1968 World Series
Glen Brummer stealing home
Mark Whitten’s 4 home run game in Cincinnati
Albert Pujols home run off Brad Lidge in the 2005 NLCS
Carlos Beltran, caught looking to end the 2006 NLCS
The errors by the Detroit pitchers in the 2006 World Series
Vince Coleman and Willie McGee stealing 4 bases on one pitch
Rules are rules, so I will not include any of these (see what I did there). Do you agree or disagree with any of my top 5 ? Feel free to tell me some of yours in the comments.
It is New Years Eve. 2011 is about to come to a close, and what an amazing year it was, especially for Cardinals fans. We are about a month and a half away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, so this might be a good time to look ahead and make some predictions about the upcoming season.
Motte will drop the Not
We had a lot of fun with Tony La Russa’s “Not the Closer” routine last year. As with so many of Tony La Russa’s micro-strategies, it was one of redirection that made him the story, thus taking the pressure off his player. That is one of the big differences I expect to see in the 2012 Cardinals under new manager, Mike Matheny. The first benefactor of this will be Jason Motte, who will be given the title of “Closer” before he throws his first pitch in Spring Training. Eduardo Sanchez and Fernando Salas are closers-in-waiting and will get plenty of high pressure opportunities in 2012. Lance Lynn will be the next addition to the rotation, whether as a result of an injury or trade, or perhaps, just waiting until Kyle Lohse or Jake Westbrook moves on next winter. Either way, the late innings are going to be a thing of beauty as Gentle Ben takes the mound and shuts down the bad guys like Mr. Phelps’ Impossible Missions Force.
Rafeal Furcal will steal 30 bases
It will be Rafael Furcal and not Carlos Beltran that will be the Lance Berkman of 2012. He has had a bad run with injuries, but he will see 2012 mostly injury free (ok, that’s more of a hope than a prediction). If healthy, his batting average will tick up a bit, even though he very quietly hit .255 for the Cardinals in the last 2 months of 2011 (yes, actually did – you have to look it up to believe it). Tyler Greene may get more than a little bit of playing time, which should go a long way to keeping Furcal off the disabled list.
4 Cardinals Starters will have 15 or more Wins
With all due respect to my overly analytical baseball buddies, wins are not overrated. And Cardinals starters will get them by the bucketfuls in 2012. Adam Wainwright will start off slowly, but by mid-season will be looking like the 2009/2010 Cy Young finalist than the bandaged cheerleader he was in 2011. Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook will get to the magic number, although both will do so very quietly. Jaime Garcia will learn to deal with adversity, simply because there will be much less of it in 2012, and will go on to lead the team in wins. Chris Carpenter will battle hard and give us plenty of reasons to cheer, but will be the only pitcher not to hit the 15 win line. And we will be just fine with that.
The Bullpen becomes the Studpen
The biggest reason for the Cardinals starter success in 2012 is that most of the retooled 2011 bullpen will be back and healthy for the 2012 season. Although I’m sad to see Octavio Dotel leave, I don’t think there is a fan in Cardinals Nation that would rather see Dotel on the mound than Eduardo Sanchez. Sanchez, Lance Lynn, Fernando Salas, Marc Rzepczynski and Kyle McClellan are the core of a very good bullpen (on paper). Add newcomer JC Romero, who only has to be as good as the Trever Miller/Arthur Rhodes combo from last year, and the continuing saga of Mitchell Boggs give the 2012 Cardinals the best pitching we’ve seen since Whitey Herzog’s 1985 team.
Let’s put this another way – if Mitchell Boggs is the biggest question mark going into the next season, your pitching situation is very very good.
Jaime Garcia will throw a no-hitter
In recent years, no-hitters have been thrown by some of the least likely pitchers than any other time in history. The last two Cardinals no-hitters (Bud Smith, Jose Jimenez) certainly back that up, as do many of the last 30 or so from other teams (Wilson Alverez, Eric Milton, Kevin Millwood, Derek Lowe). Still, there are some pitchers that you just knew were going to throw a no-hitter at some point in their career – Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Randy Johnson and Justin Verlander. If you had seen him pitch early in his career, you would also put Ray Washburn on that list.
Of the current flock of Cardinals, the pitcher that seems to have the best chance to join the no-hit list is Jaime Garcia. He has 4 plus pitches which means he has more than one way of getting a batter out. That is the key to surviving the third time through the batting order. We’ve already seen him come close a couple of times, and we will finally see him accomplish this rare feat in the first half of 2012.
I’m not giving up on Adam Wainwright pulling a Justin Verlander and throwing a couple of no-hitters in his career, but not in the season following his Tommy John surgery.
The Cardinals will win the NL Central by 6 games
Recent Cardinals history with rookie managers has not been good, although recent is something of a stretch. It’s been 16 years since we’ve had a new manager, and that goes back to an era of baseball that most of us have been successful in exorcising from our memories. I hope that last year has finally put aside the notion that the NL Central is a weak division. It isn’t, it is just a bit more balanced than some of the others.
Even though Mike Matheny will be a new manager, he is inheriting a strong core of players, and a good mix of youth and veterans. I can’t think of a better situation for a new manager to have, and Matheny will do well with this roster of Redbirds. Add that a few of the important coaches from the La Russa era will be staying with the Cardinals, you have to be very optimistic about the team’s chances next year.
There will be plenty of ups and downs, but this team will be more of a juggernaut than La Russa’s surprise sprint to the finish of last year. In other words, 2012 will be the season we were all expecting 2011 to be, and it all starts with a healthy Adam Wainwright pitching in the home opener.
These have been some of my predictions. Agree or disagree, let me know in the comments. And as with the top stories, please feel free to share some of yours.
One last comment, and it is the most important of all. Thanks to all of you that have read these articles over the last year. I truly appreciate it, and enjoy all of the comments (even the ones from irate Reds fans). I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very happy, healthy, safe and prosperous 2012. Happy New Year!
What, you didn’t think a pitcher could be scrappy ? After reading
